Monthly Archives: November 2016

For many people, the road you take after you graduate from high school often seems like the best route to future success, but along the way you realize you have taken the wrong path.

That happened for Balmoral Hall grad Andi Sharma.

Sharma graduated from Balmoral Hall in 2003, and pursued, through some bumps and twists in the road, a degree in business. Andi graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Manitoba in 2009, and set off on her career path.

Ever since Nintendo released Pokémon Go, the gaming habits of millennials have changed. Almost everyone’s outside now, running to places where they can catch a Pikachu or Charmander. While the obvious benefit of Pokémon Go is staying fit and healthy, people can actually learn about finances while playing the game.

If you’re one of the millions of people who are playing Pokémon Go right now, here are some of things that you may pick up from the game.

Working hard to level up in Pokémon? Level up in real life!

The best way to keep your finances healthy is to make more money. With a bigger monthly income, you can save more. Level up your portfolio by learning more real-life skills outside your comfort zone or find a new job that pays your profession’s actual market value. If you don’t have any idea how much you should be getting, visit Glassdoor to see how much you should get paid for the job you’re doing with the experience you possess.

Do you have too many Pokémon? Get rid of them!

In the future, there’s this ongoing rumor that friends will be able to trade their Pokémon with each other. So if you don’t need the extra Pokémon, let them go. The same can be said with things that we don’t really need in life such as too many magazine subscriptions or a premium membership to a car club that barely gets used. You can save money by letting go of non-assets that you’re not really using often.

Join a team

In Pokémon Go, you are allowed to join either Team Mystic, Team Valor, or Team Instinct. Joining teams allow you unlimited access to information from friends, and this also applies to the business world. Don’t be a loner – join a group to get access to information that could prove invaluable. Do you specialize in putting on events? If so, go to expos and conventions and attempt to get a vendor’s license to showcased your services. If you work in the restaurant industry, you can find a group where you can share recipes and sell your goods. With a team, you’ll make positive progress with your finances quickly.

Keep walking

In Pokémon Go, you need to walk several miles in order to hatch your egg. In the real world, “hatching your egg” or “reaping the fruits of your labor” takes time as well. If your company offers a 401(k), by all means contribute to it. Keep on slashing at least 5% of your salary and put it to your 401(k) so when you retire, you’ll have something that you can rely on.

Millennials have the best resource available to them, which is time. According to FXCM’s insights, “people in their twenties and thirties will have a greater time period to potentially accumulate wealth than older investors.” So while it’s fun to play Pokémon Go for hours on end, don’t forget to dedicate time to improving your finances. You’ll be surprised at how time flies these days so don’t waste it. The key is to keep a balanced life.